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Legacy of Kings (Blood of Gods and Royals #1) by Eleanor Herman Review

 By: Grace To

Legacy of Kings, the first book in the Blood of Gods and Royals series, is a historical fiction fantasy book centered around a character based on the historical Alexander the Great and his teenage years. The story is written in the perspective of a lot of different characters (seven in total): Katerina (Kat), Jacob, Alexander (Alex), Hephaestion (Heph), Olympias, Cynane (Cyn), and Zofia (Zo). The character and their stories begin to come together as the plot unravels. Jacob and Kat have known each other since childhood and develop feelings for each other until they have to separate as Jacob is chosen to participate in an arena battle, where the last man standing wins. Alex is the heir to Macedonia and has grown up with Heph after bringing him into the palace. Cyn is Alex's half-sister, seeking a type of magic that her mother once pursued. Finally, Zo is a Persian Princess who desperately wants to change her fate so she can be with who she loves. 

First, there are a lot of POV's in the novel. I did get used to it as it went on, but it was really confusing at first especially with so much information stacking on top of each other. It always keeps you hanging after a certain scene ends and you want to know what happens but it switches to a different perspective because there are so many perspectives. I didn't think it was too bad, but it is a bit overwhelming especially as new plot twists are introduced and a lot of stuff happens. There were also a few unnecessary perspective changes. 

I also thought that some of the relationships and characters in the novel were a bit cliche and unoriginal. Some characters and ideas in the novel have already been used by other authors. A more obvious scene is the introduction, where Jacob has to compete in the tournament and separate from Kat, which is really similar to another series (the Hunger Games). I don't think it was too bad here because it's not really what the story is really centered around and many more things happen in the future. The main characters are also all beautiful, handsome, strong, all of the standard characteristics for a lead. 

The book was also a bit slow to get into the actual plot. At first, it didn't feel super slow because the book hadn't gotten into the full plot yet, but once I neared the end of the book, the first half or even more felt like the exposition of the story. It took a long time especially with all the perspectives that are included. 

Even though there are several things I didn't like about the book, the world building and overall idea and storyline was really intriguing. The setting is historical and includes magical elements. It was interesting to see how all the different character's stories tied together. The writing was great and captured the emotions of the characters well. I don't like how there are so many perspectives, but the plot is really interesting and I want to know what happens next, which is why I'm planning to grab the next book in the series and read it soon. Overall, even though there could have been more character, it was really interesting and intriguing. I would recommend it just because the world is really fascinating and thought-provoking. 

Comments

  1. BridgetMarch 9, 2021 at 2:22 PM

    Nice post! I can see how multiple perspectives can be overwhelming, I'm reading one right now. But I do think it's really cool how the book is based off of Alexander the Great and has magical elements. I think I'll check out this series next time I'm at the library.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 10, 2021 at 12:06 PM

    I loved the post! I feel like most people are saying everything they like about the book and then trying to fit all their dislikes into a paragraph but I like the way you styled it. Saying the things you dislike about a book and then concluding that, even though there are some bad things, the book is still good. I have read books with this same style (tons of perspectives, constantly switching). I think this can be one of the most fun styles to read if the author uses it well. I'll be sure to check out the book.

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